26 November 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Year 3 - 6 School Camp Program

Last Friday, we held our final event within our Year 3 -6 Camp program with the Year 3 Sleepover. The Year 3 students guided by their teachers were exceptionally well behaved and had a good night spending the night at school. Thank you to parents who also helped to ensure that the students gained big strides in being independent and looking after their own gear.

We know that this was the first sleep-over for many students and they did really well. The Year 3s also showed themselves by having good eating manners and generally being great young people.

This is the final event within our vision for a progressive camp program across Year 3 -6. This year, we were able to hold the following:

• Year 3 Sleepover - day and overnight program at school
• Year 4 Camp - two days and overnight program at Numinbah Valley
• Year 5 Camp - Currumbin Farm School
• Year 6 Camp - Adventure Camp at PGL Kindilan

Each of these events were wonderful experiences for our students and build upon each other as our students progress through the upper primary years. I acknowledge and thank our teachers and other staff members who each made great commitment to supporting our school camp programs this year.

We celebrate our program of outdoor adventure and environmental camps during 2021.

Accessible Pathway to Western Carpark

This week, we are pleased to see the commencement on an additional infrastructure project. This project provides a safe and accessible walkway from the Western Carpark up the embankment and to connect with the Tuckshop Undercover Area. This will better support students, staff and parents being able to use the Western School Carpark and be able to walk, cycle or roll safely from the carpark to connect to the existing concrete pathways and tuckshop area. This provides a very central way to enter the school and much closer to our junior classrooms, Administration and other areas of the school from the Western Carpark.

Our vision is also some beautification work to make this an attractive additional way to access our school from the west.

A worksite is now in place and work will take place during the remainder of the school year and into the summer vacation. This project was recently announced as part of a state infrastructure program and will meet all current accessibility requirements.

Back to School Arrangements for 2022

The pdf calendar for 2022 is now available.

Please see the following dates to assist with the end of the year and transition into the 2022 school year.

10 December 2021: Semester 2 Reports will be forwarded to parents/carers via email
10 December 2021: 2022 class lists accessible through the individual student unique identifier code available on the student report
10 December 2021: Final day of the 2021 school year
17 January 2022: Office open for enquiries
21 January 2022: Book Pack drop off and visit to 2022 class rooms
24 January 2022: School resumes for 2022.

(There will be slightly different arrangements for 2022 Prep students to be informed)

Enrolments open for Prep 2022

We are currently taking enrolments for Prep to start in 2022. Enrolments are open to the siblings of existing students, families residing within catchment and a small number of out of catchment enrolments where we have capacity.

We are very proud of the learning and happy faces from our Prep students. Our dedicated teaching team works hard to ensure our Prep program is the best it can be.

Please see below or contact the school for more information.

Continuing Learning and Engagement for Students with COVID- 19

Together we continue to act to create a safe and healthy bubble for our beautiful students, staff, families and our community. We currently operate under response Scenario 2. Our current operating conditions have restrictions easing but the continuation of our normal COVID-Safe routines and the wearing of face masks by adults and staff. Teachers are now able to remove their masks when teaching. Please continue to monitor updates as our COVID response can change very quickly.

We are carefully monitoring plans for borders opening prior to Christmas and what might be in place for the new school year. We thank our wonderful community for following the health advice and changes in a respectful and supportive way. We all want everyone to be healthy and safe and maintaining the continuity of learning and engagement for our students at this time. We are and always will be one community focused on creating futures for our students.

Learning Excellence

We have a very full excellence program planned for 2021.

We share more of our students achieving excellence during the last fortnight. We acknowledge Remembrance Day and celebrate Interschool Debating and Touch.

Chris McMillan
Principal

How to Report a Student Absence at Coomera Springs

Just a reminder that all absences must be reported to Administration by any of the following methods:

• Leave a message on the school absence line Ph: 5519 5300 – dial 1
• Email Administration admin@coomeraspringsss.eq.edu.au
• Reply to the SMS message – please state your child’s name and reason for absence

You may also email your child’s class teacher, however Administration must be advised in order for your child’s absence to be recorded with the correct code.

Your assistance in following our absence procedure is greatly appreciated.

Prep Enrolments for 2022

Coomera Springs is now taking enrolments for Prep in 2022. If you have a little one born between 1/7/16 – 30/6/17 then they are due to start Prep next year! Please come and see our lovely office staff or check on our website for an enrolment pack. Parent Information and orientation sessions have begun so the sooner you can enrol the better!

Library News

Dear Parents, Carers and Students,

Thank you for another wonderful year in our library. Many books have been borrowed and returned. Please note that borrowing has finished for the year. Could you please help make sure that your child has returned their library and home readers back to the library? If you have any problems please let me know.

On another note. Thank you for your wonderful support for Book Club, Book Parade and our Book Fair. The library has been able to purchase more than $4000 worth of new books for our students to be able to borrow this year.

Thank you once again.

Happy Reading,

Sue Marriott Teacher / Librarian.

News from our Music Department

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS!

The CSSS Christmas Concerts will be held in the School Hall on Thursday 2nd December.

The Senior Concert (Year 3 – Year 6) is at 9am and the Junior Concert (Prep – Year 2) is at 11.45am.

We are looking forward to having every class in the school perform on stage, plus the following featured performances:

Senior Concert:

Junior and Senior Concert Band, Junior and Senior Strings, Music Centre of Excellence Classes

Junior Concert:

Combined Choir, Ukulele Band

Come along and share in the fun!

STATEWIDE HONOURS ENSEMBLE PROGRAM (SHEP 2021)

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to perform in the Statewide Honours Ensemble Program for Primary Schools in Brisbane this weekend. We are very proud of you and have no doubt you will represent Coomera Springs SS with distinction at this prestigious event, well done!

SHEP CHOIR: Taylor C, Felicity P
SHEP BAND: Millah J, Rocky L,
SHEP STRINGS: Leanne K

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC UPDATE

We would like to thank all Parents and Students of our Instrumental Music Program for a fantastic year of music making! We have had a very successful year and are looking forward to seeing all Instrumental Music groups perform at the Christmas concert next Thursday.

If your child is currently using a school instrument, please note that these must be returned to the Music Department at the conclusion of the Christmas Concert on Thursday 2nd December. Please ensure all personal items have been taken out of the case before handing in your instrument.

BEGINNERS 2022

Our Beginner Strings and Band Programs are going to be amazing next year! Miss Williams (Strings) and Mr Alloway (Band) have been busily reviewing all applications from our talented Year 2 and 3 students, and before the end of the term letters of acceptance, enrolment contracts and loan agreement forms will be sent home for the successful applicants.

If your child has been selected for Instrumental Music in 2022 please ensure the required paperwork is returned to school as soon as possible after you receive it, to allow us to set up the group timetables for next year. Keep an eye out also for an invoice from the Finance Office (this may be sent at the beginning of next year). Payment will need to be made before students can take home a hired instrument in 2022.

Alison Murray
Music Coordinator

News from our PE Department

Representative School Sport

CSSS would like to congratulate Kaleah G who was recently selected for the Queensland 10-12 Years Girls Touch Football Team. This is an outstanding achievement, well done Kaleah.

Swimming Carnival

P&C News

Christmas Raffle

Coomera Springs State School P&C are holding a Christmas Raffle.
Please see details below of all the wonderful gifts to be won!
Tickets are available from $2.00.

You can click the following link to purchase tickets

Thank you for your support.

P&C Fundraising Committee

To enable these events to be run successfully, the P&C are wishing to establish a Fundraising Committee. If you have or know someone who has the expertise in assisting and becoming part of the fundraising team, please let the Executive know. We all know that many hands can make the task easier. Should you be interested in volunteering your time to assist please let us know at CSSS_PandC@coomeraspringsss.eq.edu.au. Our vision is that this committee meets separately to the general meetings. May be over a cuppa before, during or after school. A report will then be presented at the general meeting.

Again, please let the Executive know if you are interested.

Next P&C Assoc Meeting:

There are no further meetings this year. Please keep an eye out for the first meeting date of 2022.

Thanks everyone and please stay safe.

Ann Arthur – President

2022 School Bus Pass – Surfside Buslines

Please see below message regarding school bus passes for 2022. For further information, please contact Surfside Buslines directly.

With the end of the school year fast approaching we are now preparing for the processing, printing and distribution of school travel passes for use on our services in 2022!

In order for this to be executed correctly and in a timely manner I have attached the following forms, information sheets and frequently asked questions below to assist parents when applying for a school bus travel pass:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I apply?

• You can apply quickly and conveniently online on https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/public/school/school-transport-assistance/apply-for-school-transport-assistance. Once submitted, your form is sent to us for processing.
• Alternatively, you can apply using an paper application form which is available for Safety-Net Travel Assistance and Distance-based Travel Assistance on https://translink.com.au/tickets-and-fares/concessions/school-students/school-transport-assistance Print the form out and when complete, mail the application to Surfside Buslines, 1-10 Mercantile Court, Molendinar, 4214 Given the number of applications being processed please allow time you receive your approval letter from Queensland Transport for us to print the pass and send it to your school for collection.

Am I eligible for Safety-net bus travel assistance?

• The following is a brief summary of eligibility and should be used as a guide only. Please refer to the School Transport Assistance Scheme for full details or contact your nearest Department of Transport and Main Roads office. Safety-net bus travel assistance is available for financially disadvantaged students who live close to their nearest school. It is available to students travelling on either kilometre-based or fares-based school bus services. To be eligible for safety-net assistance, students must meet the distance criteria, as well as the safety-net eligibility criteria as stated below.

The student must be listed as a dependant on one of the following cards:

• Health Care card (issued by Centrelink)
• Pensioner Concession card (issued by Centrelink)
• Veteran Affairs Pension Concession card.
• Students who have a card issued in their own name, as well as students under a Care and Protection Order, issued by Department of Communities (Child Safety), may also qualify for safety-net assistance.

Distance criteria:

• Prep students are entitled to transport assistance in their prep year
• Primary school students (1 – 6) must live 3.2 km or less, from the nearest state primary school
• •Secondary school students (7 – 12) must live 4.8 km or less from the nearest state secondary school
• Non-state school students must live less than the required distances from both the nearest state & non-state school (of type attended).
• Students with special needs. Students enrolled in a special school or a special unit within a school will be considered irrespective of distance. Please note that the Department of Education and Training provides transport assistance for students with disabilities.

Am I eligible for distance-based travel assistance?

• The following is a brief summary of eligibility and should be used as a guide only. Please refer to the School Transport Assistance Scheme for full details or contact your nearest Department of Transport and Main Roads office. To be eligible for distance-based assistance, students must meet the distance criteria relevant to their circumstances, as well as satisfy the general conditions of the scheme.

To be eligible:

• Prep students are eligible for transport assistance in their prep year
• Primary school students (Prep – 7) must live more than 3.2 km† from the nearest state primary school
• Secondary school students (8 – 12) must live more than 4.8 km† from the nearest state secondary school
• Non-state school students must live more than the required distances from both the nearest state & non-state school (of type attended).
• Students with special needs. Students enrolled in a special school or a special unit within a school will be considered irrespective of distance. Please note that the Department of Education and Training provides transport assistance for students with disabilities.

Visit at the link below or contact School Administration for more information.

When do I renew my application?

Your child will need to apply for a new bus pass if they are:

• Entering into Grade 7 OR repeating a grade
• If your child has changed home address and/or school, you must notify your school immediately and arrange for a new application form to be completed and your old bus pass returned. This new form will be submitted to Surfside Buslines for assessment.

How do I replace a lost or stolen bus pass?

• Providing the student has not moved schools or home, a replacement bus pass can be purchased from your bus driver for $20.00 payable in cash only. Please complete the APPLICATION FOR REPLACEMENT BUS PASS FORM and hand to your bus driver with the $20.00. The driver will issue a receipt for the $20.00. The receipt is to be used as a temporary bus pass until the replacement pass has been issued. The replacement bus pass will be sent to your School Administration for collection as soon as practicable.

QLD General Information: If the student in your care does not have a current bus pass they must pay a full student fare, or use a go card, to travel on a school bus. Visit at the link below for information on concession fares.

Please visit at the link below for a complete copy of the Code of Conduct document.

At the end of each school year, please ensure that the current pass is retained to be used in the new school year until the new pass is issued.

*Students with an existing bus pass need only re-apply if their home address has changed, or they are going to a different school in the new year (this includes moving from Primary to High School).

Some useful links to follow:

Apply for your bus pass online:

Surfside Buslines Website:

Translink website (Distance based application information):

Translink Website (Safety Net application information):

TMR website:

Containers for Change

Our Springers are very excited to start recycling with Containers for Change!

Please see the flyers below for which containers/bottles are allowed to be placed in the bins, each class has been explicitly taught what they are.

Only containers at school in lunchboxes or from the tuckshop, are to be placed in the bins, students are not to bring things from home. There are two large blue recycling bins at either end of the school (one in the tuckshop area, the other in the basketball court area).

Big Battery Rescue

A reminder that we are still rescuing batteries from landfill and we need your help! There are only a few weeks left to send in all your old batteries so we can get them recycled, please bring your batteries in before the 3rd of December (Friday, Week 9). Remember, we will accept any of the regular household batteries (such as; AA, AAA…etc). However, please do not bring in car batteries as these are a safety hazard for students.

Each classroom has a battery bucket, there is one in the office and a large one in the library as well (blue with a red lid). You can stop in before school to drop off batteries for your child, or send them into school in a bag to be emptied into their classroom container.

Did you know? In Australia, each year over 300 million household batteries are thrown away with ordinary waste. Less than 3% are recycled meaning a staggering 14,000 tonnes of batteries end up in landfill.

Recycling your batteries allows us to stay in the running to win the 2021 National Schools Challenge! The weight of batteries we recycle will be measured and tracked so that we can share the fantastic results and the impact of our students with the whole community.

For more information about the program see the website:

Or Check out this video:

Uniform Shop

Tuckshop

Frankie’s Tuckerbox

The tuckshop is open Monday - Friday and offers a range of healthy choice options. Please click here for the 2021 Tuckshop Menu.

Orders can be placed at the tuckshop between 7.30am and 9am or online via flexischools (We prefer online ordering).

Please use separate bags for each break for each student if ordering at the Tuckshop counter. Please clearly mark the student’s name, class and break on each bag.

Lost or forgotten lunches will be replaced with a jam, vegemite or honey sandwich and a piece of fruit at a cost of $4.00. Payment can be made over the phone by Eftpos or the bill will be sent home with the student so it can be paid next day at the tuckshop.

All counter orders will incur a 20c processing fee.

PHONE ORDERS ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED

Flexischool Thursdays & Fridays

All orders on Thursdays and Fridays can now only be placed through Flexischools. NO BAG ORDERS OVER THE COUNTER WILL BE TAKEN.

For further enquiries please contact:

Coomera Springs State School – Tuckshop
tuckshop@coomeraspringsss.eq.edu.au

School Terms for 2021

School Calendar 2021

School Calendar 2022

School Directory

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Community Notices

Free School Holiday Programs

The Gold Coast City Council’s Summer of Fun guide will be available online at the beginning of December. For more information, visit their website:

Free School Holiday Programs ages 12-17

For students aged 12 and older siblings, view the flyers below detailing structured programs with various activities for the upcoming Summer holidays. Youth can stay all day or simply for the activities that they want.

For more information:

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